Metropolitan Nashville Police Officer Jeb Johnson gave America’s Dumbest Criminals this scoop about an alarming crime:
While browsing at a chic clothier, nineteen-year-old Jonathan Parker decided that he needed three leather jackets in the worst way. The price was a little too steep, though, so Jonathan decided that he would take a “five-finger discount.” That is, he was going to steal them.
Jonathan surveyed the premises and spotted every shoplifter’s nightmare, a sensor alarm in front of the shop’s exit. He knew the merchandise was tagged with magnetic strips, and if he tried to slip out with any tagged merchandise, the sensor would set off a deafening siren.
Undaunted, Jonathan grabbed some jackets that suited his taste and ducked into the nearest dressing room. Thoroughly searching the jackets, our shoplifter found all the magnetic strips and peeled them off. He found them inside sleeves and pockets, under collars and along the waistband. Jonathan was very proud of himself as he flicked the last of the strips onto the floor. He stuffed the jackets under his coat and boldly walked toward the front door.
A second later the loud, piercing scream of the alarm alerted the security guard, who quickly apprehended our thorough young thief. Jonathan was stunned. Hadn’t he searched every inch of those jackets?
The security guard searched the stolen jackets, and he couldn’t find any magnetic strips either. So why had the alarm gone off?
Then the guard looked a little deeper. He looked right into the sole—the sole of Jonathan’s shoe, that is. And there he discovered four or five of the little magnetic strips, which Jonathan had thrown to the floor and then stepped on. The young man was arrested and charged with shoplifting.
Sticky fingers and sticky shoes—they’ll get you every time.